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Worth upgrading RAM on old computer?

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Go to solution Solved by WoodenMarker,

Getting an ssd would yield the best performance boost and you can reuse it afterwards as well.

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Hello everyone!

 

I have a Dell OptiPlex 755 Desktop which is my primary computer for now until hopefully around late August / early September when I'll be building myself my first gaming computer. But before I get that system I was wondering - is it worthwhile to upgrade the current computer's RAM?

 

The specs of the computer are:

 

  • Dual Core Intel Pentium @2GHz
  • 2GB of DDR2 RAM (2x1GB)
  • Intel Q35 Express graphics chipset
  • 320GB HDD @ 5400rpm
  • Windows 7 Professional 64-bit

The motherboard has 4 DIMM slots and was rated by Dell as supporting up to 8GB of RAM (4x2GB)

 

So this thing can't be used for gaming pretty much at all owing to how terrible the Intel graphics are. But I have plans to continue using the system for things even after I get my gaming rig. Media server, possibly turn it into a dedicated media PC for my living-room. I figured it'd need a RAM upgrade, seeing as 2GB is laughably obsolete nowadays. Obviously everything else is outdated too, but it seems that the RAM (and the HDD) are the primary limitations. CPU usage typically stays at around 5 to 20% and RAM usage rarely drops below 80%.

 

What do you guys think? Should I upgrade the RAM, or is the performance benefit not worth the cost considering the limitations of the CPU and HDD?

 

Thanks. :)

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Getting an ssd would yield the best performance boost and you can reuse it afterwards as well.

If you ever need help with a build, read the following before posting: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/3061-build-plan-thread-recommendations-please-read-before-posting/
Also, make sure to quote a post or tag a member when replying or else they won't get a notification that you replied to them.

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Hello!!

I will not upgrade as now ddr2 is more expensive than ddr3.

You can save some money and get an amd apu, new mb and some ram and make a new second computer!

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Not worth the cost. I would agree better off to do an SSD and reuse in your new build.

Asus Maximus VI Extreme, I7 4770K, NZXT Kraken X60, Kingston HyperXBeast DDR-3 2400, Sapphire 6950, NZXT Phantom 820, SanDisk 120Gb Extreme x2 in Raid, 2Tb WD Green, SeaSonic X-850 Gold

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Go to topic listing CPUs, Motherboards, and Memory

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